§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Attorney-General what measures he is taking to improve the(a) speed and (b) effectiveness of the Crown Prosecution Service. [84324]
The Attorney-GeneralThe Crown Prosecution Service has been piloting a number of initiatives to reduce delay as part of the inter-agency Reducing Delays Initiative. The pilots were completed at the end of March of 1999 and are now being evaluated. The evaluation report is expected in July 1999 and Ministers will then take final decisions on national implementation of the initiatives. The CPS is also continuing to make good progress in implementing the Glidewell Report, which made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Service. From April 1999, the CPS has been reorganised into 42 geographical Areas, each headed by a new Chief Crown Prosecutor. This re-organisation, announced when the Government first took office, represents a significant step towards improving the effectiveness of the CPS.